Blue Devils Rebound With Win Over Warriors
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — It was pretty much night and day for the Drury baseball team in its first two games of the season.The Blue Devils took one on the chin with a 16-1 mercy-rule loss to rival Hoosac Valley on Wednesday. Al Marceau's team rebounded nicely on Saturday, however, earning a hard-fought 5-4 win over Wahconah in the first round of the Monument Baseball Classic.
Senior Max Quinn gave Drury (1-1) a quality start on the mound, allowing one earned run with five strikeouts and three walks in five innings of work. Junior Alex Bush sparked a three-run first inning for the Blue Devils by smacking a two-run double. Drury kept that lead until the Warriors tied it up with one run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth. The Devils responded in the top of the seventh, though, using a sacrifice fly by senior Joel Giorgi and an RBI single from Quinn to score a pair of runs.
Bush ended up earning the win after taking over for Quinn in the top of the sixth. He allowed three earned runs with two strikeouts and two walks in just under two innings of work. Wahconah put the pressure on by scoring a run to make it 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh, but senior Robert Jutras came on to get the last out and clinch Drury's first win of the season.
"We started out extremely well and then let off the gas and tried to cruise," Marceau said. "Fortunately, we were able to respond to their rally and hold on for the victory. Max pitched extremely well and deserved a opportunity to pick up the victory."
Quinn also had a solid day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Giorgi also came through with a 1-for-2 day, adding a run scored, a walk and a stolen base.
The Blue Devils next play host Monument Mountain in the tournament final at 1 p.m. on Monday.